What originally started as a way to share my wedding planning with friends back home has now morphed into wedding planning + travel diary as I wander merrily about England. Welcome!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

coupley afternoon

this afternoon David and I went way out to the edges of TTC territory to take in an art exhibit at Sherway Garden Mall. I love malls, and this one was airy and not crowded so we took our time window shopping as we walked around. I really love these little excursions of ours, because it's time when we sort of plan, or dream, the trappings of our future together.

The art exhibit we'd gone to see was alright, but I actually preferred a little art gallery we wandered into that was near the food court (it wouldn't be a mall date without mall Chinese food!). Unlike most mall galleries which boast prints, this was an actual art gallery with real paintings. There were some very lovely paintings, including a massive still life that on first glance appeared to be an ordinary fruit scene but on closer inspection was full of worm-eaten fruit, butterflies, and dragonflies. I loved it! It was a bit steep though, at $12,000... Anyway, we slowly wandered through the gallery, discussing the virtues of various pieces and discussing our own collection when we ran into a wall dedicated to Stuart Clifford Shaw.

The paintings were beautiful and we both fell in love. I think a little of this is due to his BC origin, because the scenes painted really did seem so familiar in a strange way. I particularly loved his Lake Jasper. Of course at $1200 it's beyond our means, but it is nice to plan!

We have a lovely little art collection in the works, some of it in prints and some of it in originals. Part of it is in Toronto, but the rest is split between Port & Victoria. I look forward to the day we [finally] have a place to settle and can start bringing it over!

One funny thing in the art gallery was the way the saleswoman we borrowed a pen from (to write down the artist's name) was being very friendly. David was wearing a nice shirt and tie, and I was wearing a usual "going out" outfit, and she clearly thought we had money to purchase. That said, we both wished we'd had money to purchase! One day...

Since we were in the mood to discuss our material future, we decided to head over to The Bay and get a sense of where we're going to take our gift registry. We also have a couple of friends/family members getting married this summer, and although we can't make the weddings we want to bring gifts back with us when we come home in September. So we had a good time strolling through the top floor of The Bay and discussing various items--glassware, linens, etc. It was fun to think about actually choosing a bed set for us (although that may cause a debate, as we both liked different ones) and other house related things. The biggest discussion ended up over cookware, of course.

It is no secret that David has been strongly won over by Chef Gordon Ramsey. And lo, we found his cookware set! So we had a serious discussion over whether or not it was a new level of decadence in cooking..and decided NO. We are super chefs! We deserve the best! So I think it is on our list of things to buy in the future... Were we wealthy, or were credit-card fraud not wrong, we could have easily spent $2000 today (or $14,000 if I really splurged and went for the giant still life...).

Money aside, it was really fun to think about our future in tangible material terms. We both have our ideas, of course, but we've moved so often and always "settle" knowing it's not permanent that it is nice to know that one day we will stop, and one day we will be settled enough to buy things for our home because they are beautiful and permanent, not because they are inexpensive and functional. It makes the whole thing seem more real, somehow.

Waiting for the subway. And dressed like a proper Cambridge Man. *Summery! And yes, my hat is very bright--it serves to bring cheer.

About Me

Life is full of surprises, and in April 2009 David received a Cambridge International Scholarship, allowing him to realize his dream of getting his PhD from Cambridge. So, with our MAs from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Medieval Studies completed, we took flight for the old world. This is our life--planning a wedding and playing tourist while working and studying abroad.